Tuesday, February 5, 2019

Best Posts of 2018

By Sam PihaSince we launched the Learning in Afterschool & Summer (LIAS) project, we have published over 354 blog posts, attracting 410,062 views. In 2018, we published 34 blog posts, attracting 57,050 views. Below, we list some of our favorites and most viewed posts.FAVORITES

Photo Credit: ResponsiveClassroom.org

The Power of Sharing Circles (May 2018)We know that bringing together young people and offering them the opportunity to have their individual voices heard in the larger community is an important practice. We are referring to “talking or sharing circles” - bringing youth together in a circle and asking each individual to speak while the rest of the group practices active listening. Read more.New Educational Trends and Terms (April 2018)In America, educational trends and thinking don’t evolve. Instead, they tend to swing like a pendulum or cycle back and forth. To see a good example, just look at the writings of John Dewey from the early 1900s. Read more.

Shawn Ginwright

Shifting From Trauma Informed Care to Healing Centered Engagement (August 2018) Dr. Ginwright recently authored an article entitled Shifting From Trauma Informed Care to Healing Centered Engagement. In this post, we offer a few excerpts from his article and urge everyone to read it in its entirety. Read more.MOST VIEWEDIn the Aftermath of Parkland: What is the Role of Expanded Learning Programs? (March 2018)We were shocked and dismayed by another mass shooting, this one at Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, FL. As a field that promotes safety, youth voice, and youth civic engagement, we commend the students that have spoken up about gun violence. Read more.HEARTSET: Transforming Teaching & Learning (March 2018) Have you ever thought that the challenges that educators face today are different from any in modern time? With political and social unrest creating a stressful environment, how can we best uplift ourselves and assist our young people deal with life and learning? Read more.How Not to Lose Your Mind Over Every New Trend in Your Field (March 2018)It sometimes feels like risking whiplash to try to follow all the emerging trends in our field and the potential funding, resources and opportunities that come along with them. Every few years, sometimes more often, there are new trends that are often accompanied by or are a part of funding opportunities. Some of these trends stick around for awhile until something newer, younger and sexier gets introduced. Some trends seem to come around in cycles. Read more.

Johanna Masis

PRACTITIONER GUEST BLOGGERSJohanna Masis Sharing Circles: Cyphers (May 2018)At Oakland Leaf, all of our programs incorporate the practice of Cyphers. We believe in the power of people's stories and life experiences regardless of how many years they have been alive. There is a collective wisdom that exists and needs to be honored. When we practice Cyphers, or community circles, the benefits are immense. Read more.INTERVIEWS WITH FIELD LEADERSAn Interview with Researcher Deborah Lowe Vandell (October 2018)Deborah Lowe Vandell has been a leading researcher on expanded learning programs since 1985. Dr. Vandell agreed to respond to our interview questions regarding her research on the field of afterschool. Read more.What Difference Does It Make? An Interview with Milbrey McLaughlin

Milbrey McLaguhlin

(June 2018)Dr. McLaughlin recently released a new book entitled, You Can’t Be What You Can’t See: The Power of Opportunity to Change Young Lives. In this post, we offer her responses to a few questions regarding her work. Read more.INTERVIEWS WITH PRACTITIONERSPractitioners Speak Out: Serving the Needs of Immigrant Youth (February 2018)We previously published a blog post on the issue of supporting immigrant families and their children in afterschool. We want to follow this up by hearing directly from youth practitioners from Educators For Fair Consideration (E4FC) that specialize in serving this population. Read more.